Towel rack



June 21, 1949. E. c. SLATE 2,473,771

` TOWEL RACK 2 sneek-sheet 1 Filed June 17. 1946 g3 i; l2 Mg A NvaNToLDWARD 'QW @ATER June 21, 1949. Exc.. SLATER i 2,473,771

TOWEL RACK Filed June 17. 1946 l 2- Shee'ts-Sheet 2 f f \NvaNToR .1EDWARD GUY SLATER Patented June 21, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8Claims.

This invention relates to towel bars. It includes a towel bar structureadapted to be mounted on the wall of a room' or similar verticalsupport, but which has incorporated therewith a supplementary rackstructure which may be pulled out to operative position to provide anumber of additional spaced bars or rods on which towels or other fabricarticles may be hung, and which may be pushed back to closed orretracted position in which the several bars are housed within the maintowel rack bar andare not seen, there being presented what appears to bea conventional towel rack consisting of a horizontal bar betweeen itstwo supporting brackets which are connected to and extend outwardly froma wall or other vertical support.

It is a primary object and purpose of my invention to provide a noveland particularly useful towel rack and extensible supplementary rackstructure associated and combined therewith, having the properties andfunctions stated, and to provide a novel structure in which a hollowtowel rack bar is longitudinally slotted at one side for the passagetherein to and the movement outwardly therefrom of the auxiliarysupporting rods which when not in use are housed within the main towelrack bar; and said bar is turnable about its longitudinal axis to locatethe slot in a position for receiving the auxiliary rods, or forpermitting their movement outside. rods are within the m'ain towel rackbar, said Vbar may be turned through an arc of 90 degrees toautomatically lock the auxiliary rods and their supports againstmovement and to position the towel bar so that its slotted side is atthe bottom and is not normally seen.

An understanding of the invention may be had from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a plan of the structure of my invention in retracted positionand showing the wall structure on which mounted in horizontal section.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the supplementary supporting rod structurepulled out to operative position.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the extended structure shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section through the towel bar structurein its retracted position, one of the supporting brackets being shown inside elevation. 7

Fig. 5 is a ragment'arylhorizontal section taken substantially at acentral horizontal plane at one end of the main'towel rod member and itssupport.

Fig. -isa transversel vertical section through When said auxiliary theextended structure,A the section being taken between the ends oftherods, or from front to rear in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged detail of a structure illustrating them'ovable mounting of part of the supplementary supporting rods and ameans usable for releasably holding them at a desired location. i

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figuresof the drawings.

The support for the towel bar structure of my invention in general willbe a vertical wall of a room which may have spaced, opposite verticalsides I and 2 constructed in the usual manner, one at each side ofspaced studding 3. It is at an outer side of the wall structure that thetowel rod is to be mounted, and in the present disclosure, it is at theouter side of the wall side I, though it could be mounted at the outerside of the opposite side 2 quite as effectively.

In the structure which I have made, two spaced supporting brackets 4having bases 5 are secured by means of screws passing through saidbases. The brackets 4 are hollow and at their outer ends a knob G ofgenerally spherical contour may be secured. Said knobs at their innersides have openings for the reception of the ends of the main towel barand from said openings, horizontal slots l (Fig. 6) extend outwardly, asshown.

The main towel bar 8 is a hollow tube of sheet metal which, at one side,is longitudinally slotted for its full length providingv a slot 9 ofsubstantially the same width as the slot l. The tubular bar 8 at itsends is received in sockets in the knobs l and may be held in place byscrews I0, one at each end. As shown in Fig. 5, the inner ends of thescrews are received inv grooves shaped to receive them made in the outersurface of the rod 8. Said screws are not brought into bindingengagement but there is a suil'iient looseness or play of the screws inthe grooves that the tubular bar 3 may be turned around its longitudinalaxis through a degree arc, so that the slot 9 may be brought intoalinement with the slots 1 in the knob 6, as in Fig. 6, or turned toadown position, as in Fig. 4. Therefore, the grooves which receive theinner ends of the screws I0 may be of a length of substantiallyone-quarterof the circumferential distance around the tube 8, providingstops at their ends for properly positioning and locating the tube 8 atits two extremes of rotative movement. l

The supplemental rack structure has two spaced, horizontal tubularsupports Il slidable passing through thevknob 6 and the brackets d.

3 The outer ends of tubes are closed by decorative balls I2, threadedthereinto and at their inner ends by screws I3, the exterior diameter atthe heads of which permits their passage into the tubular arms 4 untilstopped by engagement against the shoulders I4 therewithin, best shownin Fig, 5. Thus the supporting rods II may be pulled out until the headsI3 engage such shoulders or they may be pushed back until the balls I2come against the knobs 6.

The tubular rods II are slotted at their inner sides making somewhatelongated horizontal slots I5 closed at both ends, (Fig. 6). adjacentthe outer ends of the slots I5 a' rd I6 of small diameter extendsbetween the,tw o telescoping rods II. Two additional rodsI'I ofL thesame diameter have their ends received in the slots I5 and are,therefore, movable lengthf wise of said slots. As a simple means oflocating the rods I'I when the supplementary 4rackstruc,- tii're, isextended, said siot's at ,tii'oir-ulnt1ersioest at their rear ends andmidway between theirends are Shaped `tolprtn'fide concave, reoesses I8into which theend portions di the` rods .IIare received. ,when thetelescoping rods II are pulled ,out the outermost rod .I6 vmoves ,withthem, while the two inner rods III are moved to properly space themfrom` eachotherand from the rod I6 and bar BQ being seatedn in therecesses at I8. Another yform ,of structurefor releasably retaining the,innerr'and intervinediate rods I1 in proper position is shown in Fig.f7. Each of the rods I1 a short distance from eachend thereof isprovided with an inwardly rib I9, A releas-y able latch head2!) having aconical, outer end is located within each end ofmeachurod AI'I and has`an inwardly extendingstem 2l, with a coiled spring 22 around it betweenthehead 20 andthe rib I9. The telescopic supporting ro'd II may beprovided with properly spaced conical seats for the outer ends of. theheads 20. It is evident that therods' I'I in this manner may bereleasably held at desired positions.

For the extension or retraction of the suppleinentary rack structure,the tubular towel rod I8 is turned to the position in Fig; 6, withslots'I and 9 in conjunction. In su'ch position the supplementary rack sidesupports II may be pulled ont until Stopped by the' screw head I3engaging the shoulders I4; and the rod I'I located in their desiredvsiriacied positions, as in Figs. 2 and 6. When the supplementary rackstructure is re'- tracted, it is merely necessary to push the sidesupporting rod Il inwardly until the balls I2 come against the knobs 6.In this movement, the rods I7 and, lastly, the rod I 6 will pass throughslots I and Sand the inner rodr Il c'or'ning against the inner side ofthe housing rod '8, the two rods I1 willbe moved along the slots I5 an;l, with the three rods ISand I'I 4wholly located within and housed bythe main towel bar 8. After this retracing movement has been completedthe tubulai rod 3 is turned through a 9`O degree arc from the positionshown in Fig'. 6 to that in Fig. 4, the slot 9 in the rod 8 being movedto th under side thereofand an automatic locking or holding of theextensible supplementary rack structure obiainei The structure describedis of avery novel,v practical and useful character. The structure can beused solely as a towel rodvhaving a single bar support or it may beextended as described to provide a large addition Vfor vthe supportbftowels or other ortici'es of fabric mare, nu aft'r Immediately 4 it hasserved its purpose, retracted and out of the way out of sight asdescribed.

While I have described a practical and serviceable structure, variousmodifications in detail may be resorted, and the invention is not to berestricted to the specific form disclosed.

The invention is defined in the appended claims, and is to be consideredcomprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their Scope.

I claim:

o 11. In a construction as described, a towel rod having horizontallyspaced supporting brackets an'da hollow bar extending between them, andasupplemental rack including slidably mounted parallely bars', one'extending through outward openings in eaho'f said brackets, and a crossrod extending between and connected to said slidably in'mted barsadapted to be received within the, hollow bar, saidh u bfarn beinglongitudinally Siitii ai' Qr 1' i'fiz f' Sfichieniibnyc'is'iruciiiiiil,iiii'iiri'i' in @faire 1'): and mais ier. .ioiaiiibiyifi .iiiiiinii Seidi'iiiii'w .bei onits brackets for turnin a out its longitudinal axis;4whereby the' slot Atl'iereiri may' moved into horizontal alinefi'ent'with the cross' rd'for it to"1'3'a's ^s`A tl'irethrough;and after suchpassage be' turned to another pesitio'n". l y

3. 'z'l'rg'ifc'zll structure as dseribed comprising, twohorizoritoliyspoeotbuir supporting brackets, a hollow rack baroxtnding'between the breskis iulipiiimeiiialiek incl'iiiiirie iworiarv allespaced s iii'ii Siiiiiiiiiiiie. reis' ii. Siidabiy @Xieiidiile ihioiigii,vlier'iiiig' ifi i'iii; of. Said brackets and movable inoni'rdy andoiitworoni'yith iespeiii ihereiaaiid a plurality 0f rodi exitedinsbetween. said' Sidlsiimiilziiiie, r'fis aridmovab1y, m0'\1nied thereon,wiieibfy they may be Spiifed froiiilea'ch oiherliii be brought'Ciiiieiydjacent, iol .e7-aen other said .hollow having a mifgiiuiifiaiSigi iiiereliiihroiigii whiiihsaid last mentioned rods may pass tobehoused in the holiowriiiisban.

atiis inner siiiiisiidaiilr rii'eiiins tri end rfqrtiphs of theiodsiitiidingj htwenihii where'- bysoiii rossore movable to differentpositions reiaiiveioeahothen- ,54A @Qriiir'lictioii defined ifi .iiiiiii3; .Said hollow ,rackpiiait hiwe'ii. ih iii L. mouiitd at its endsforidttioil. @its i'qneir' iiidiiliiil ."Xiii i0 iociiii iiiiilsiet:iiiereiiiii p ifsiiiii for passage o:v the; sind iitazl richiedi; to bethereafter turned to'locate said slot at the underside@ iliehllew bat.;

6; A. iiofiiiltiiciim.es ,dndin ciiiim 3, Seid side supporting rodi ofsuizplrfinai mici structure .eeii 'awiiisalliineituiiihial .sl'tihiinifiiowiiiciii .the end pdriiws of the tais extending btweerliihein aiereiv'ii; andiiiinslfireieasr' ably retaining Seid last. meiiiiriedfedi.. ai prseieeted s pacoti positioiisbmwheii the supplementen rack isextended outwardly.

7, A rack-triwi1ire as described, Coxnp's'iog. two hollow horizoiitouyspaced proioko't arms hav',- inshizlliiw kiipbsai. their Quieriiids; ahollow rack bar extending.between saidisriqls asuiiblnieniai rack ,s,iiuiiiie iniiiiidiria tw@` parailr sp'ad houow rods' teies'oopiconymounted on and xieiidiiis through s aiiiliiiw brackets andiifr'i, ahorizontal rode L fiins between arid Cimrii- @dio solo mitm, wiiidiipat@rodi near uit outer, eiiiis thereqfiaqditiiqal milsiiariiei thtl'. toextending betwii ao movabiy 'mounted ori said telescoping rods forspacing from each other and from the rst mentioned rod carried by theside rods, or for movement to bring all of said rods extending betweenthe side supporting rods closely adjacent each other, said hollow barhaving a longitudinal slot in one side, and said knobs being similarlyslotted at their outer portions and inner sides whereby all of the rodsextending between said side supporting rods are receivable within saidhollow bar when the supplemental rack is moved inwardly.

8. A construction as defined in claim 7, said hollow bar extendingbetween said bracket knobs being mounted for rotation about itslongitudinal axis thereon, and means for limiting said rotation and forstopping said hollow bar at two extreme positions of movement, in one ofwhich the slot therein is positioned for the passage of said rodsextending between the side supporting 6 rods into the hollow bar, and inthe other position of which said slot is turned to be at the under sideof said hollow bar and interpose a stop against extension of thesupplementary rack structure.

EDWARD GUY SLATER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 825,742 Mapel July 10, 1906838,867 Lalus Dec. 118, 1906 987,884 Jellison Mar. 28, 1911 1,113,880Darling Oct. 13, 1914 2,259,166 Kendrick Oct. 14, 1941

